“May he grow to be a man of God like his father and grandfather,” said Rebekah.

Now that she was closer, Abraham spoke more softly. “I know how hard this was for you. It shows the greatness of your heart, that you could find compassion for me.” There were tears in his eyes.

Rebekah was surprised and a little ashamed. He was not, in fact, the stubborn enemy that she had supposed him to be. He was an old man who wanted to be sure his life’s work had not been in vain. Who wanted to be a part of his own family’s life. She was almost glad, in that moment, that she had decided to bend to his will.

And then he spoiled it all by saying, “And this boy will grow up to be a man.”

It made her want to scream with frustration. Didn’t Abraham see how utterly insulting his remark was? It implied that if they hadn’t brought Esau to Abraham, the boy would not have grown up to be a real man. It also implied that some other boy had not grown up to be a man, and whom could he mean but Isaac?

He’s an old man who says what’s on his mind, Rebekah reminded herself.

He’s an old man who should know better, she answered silently.

And I’m still the mother of both my sons. I’ll cling to what I have, and leave God to watch out for the things that I can’t control.

The circumcision was a simple ceremony. Isaac did it himself, and because Ishmael did not make the journey, though Keturah’s sons were all on hand, there was no tension in the camp, only rejoicing.

And when the festivities ended and they settled in to their new life in Kirjath-arba, Rebekah was pleasantly surprised that she did not have the constant interference from Keturah that she had expected. Keturah came by at least once a day, but she offered no advice or criticism. Instead she brought figs or dates, or curdled milk or fresh cheese or some other particular treat, and cooed over Rebekah’s sons without ever comparing them to her own.

When Rebekah commented on this to Isaac, he only smiled.

“You did something,” Rebekah said.

“Father did,” said Isaac.

“But you asked him to.”

“I suggested to him that it was not so much him that you wanted to avoid here in Kirjath-arba, but Keturah. He understood immediately.”

For some reason, it really bothered her that Isaac would say such a thing to Abraham. “If that had been all, I would never have refused to come.”

“You’re here now, and Father doesn’t feel as hurt and confused as he did, so what’s the harm if I leaned a little more heavily on one side of the story than another?”